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Spinach pesto croquettes

You know what I love about these very green croquettes? They combine something very wintery (mashed potatoes leftover from Christmas dinner) with something very summery (pesto I made back when basil was abundant, and have stashed in my freezer for just such an occasion.) At the end of the summer I gathered armfuls of basil, and as I turned it into pesto, I imagined myself on a cold winter’s day, after the festivities of Christmas, with nothing but months of bleak winter ahead…sniff…sob…taking out spoonful of pesto and being reminded of a glowing late-summer day.

Other than that, though, these are uncomplicated, comforting war-ration-we-can’t-afford-any-meat fare. I tried to make them very simple, so that my sons would eat them, so it’s just potatoes, breadcrumbs, pesto, and mozzarella. But there’s nothing in it that you don’t like!!

These are easy, pretty, and very green. A good way to use up leftover mashed potatoes! I served them with a bright red simple tomato sauce, that I made quite smoky and spicy with paprika and red pepper flakes.

Warm some olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and herbs, then the spinach. Cook for a few minutes till it’s wilted and the pan is quite dry. Then process so that it’s a fairly smooth purée.

In a large bowl, combine potatoes, bread crumbs, spinach, pesto, mozzarella and plenty of salt and pepper. Stir in the egg and mix very well.

Coat a baking sheet with olive oil. Form the potato mixture into croquettes of any shape you desire. I made mine rectangular, and of a size you could pick up with your fingers and dip into the sauce, if you felt so inclined. But you can make them more burger sized (and eat them in a bun!) or smaller, falafel sized. You want them to be quite flat, though, so press them down with the back of a spatula.

Bake in a 425 degree (preheated) oven for about 10 minutes, then very carefully, with a sharp metal spatula, turn them over – being sure to get any of the bits that might have stuck to the pan. Cook on the other side for 10 or 15 minutes till they’re crispy and starting to brown.